Lost and Found
by bookworm2dance
Summary: When Calleigh fails to show up for work one day, the team is convinced that she is dead, especially after seeing her apartment. But all is not what it seems. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first CSI Miami fic, so please be nice. I will try to update as often as I can, but I will only continue if people want me to.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Calleigh came to her senses suddenly. Everything was black. She was confused. She was lying in a pool of something warm and sticky. The last thing that she heard before she passed out was the noise of a gun being fired and an intense, radiating pain. Then there was nothing.

"Eric. Where is Calleigh today?"

"She's not here?"

"No."

"Did you try her mobile?"

"Yes. There was no answer from that or her home phone."

"Should we check it out?"

"I think so Eric. I think so."

The first thing that they noticed was that the front door was hanging off of its hinges. Exchanging a worried glance, they pulled out their guns and entered the house on the offensive.

A scene of utter devastation met their eyes. Calleigh's usually spotless apartment was a mess. Tables were overturned, the sofa was destroyed, books and papers were strewn across the floor and the screens of her TV and computers had been smashed.

They quickly cleared the apartment. Calleigh wasn't there. Horatio called Eric into the bedroom. There was a huge pool of blood on the floor, as well as smears across the wall and two bullet holes on the bed where there was another large blood pool. And where her head would have been had she been lying in it.

Horatio silently pulled out his phone and called Alex and the rest of his team.

Arriving in the bedroom, Alex was shocked at the amount of blood. It wasn't good.

"Is there any chance that she is still alive Alex?" choked Natalia. She was finding it hard to choke back her emotions.

"I'm sorry honey. With this amount of blood, assuming that all of it is hers, I would have to say that it is very unlikely".

**Later the same day...**

"H!" called Eric, jogging down the hallway.

Horatio stopped and turned to face Eric.

"There was no brain matter on the two slugs that we recovered from the bed."

"Eric, unfortunately, all of the blood was hers. Alex told me that after this amount of time without a doctor, we will have to close our missing person's case and open a homicide investigation. I'm sorry, but there is just no way that she could live after losing that amount of blood."

Eric backed up against the wall, and Horatio had to grab his arm to hold him upright. How could she be dead? How could he live without her?

After 3 weeks of solid investigating into the murder of Calleigh Duquesne, the team had come up with... nothing. As usual, all potential witnesses were blind and deaf and the killers had left behind almost no forensic evidence.

Although in itself, no evidence was a clue, it had not proved helpful. There was so much forensics on TV that they could have picked up their techniques from anywhere.

It was time to close the case.

Horatio sighed and left the file on his desk. His team wasn't the same anymore. Without her, they seemed to have fallen apart. Her smile and her optimism would be missed.

**So... what did you think? Should I continue? I have a whole story line planned out.**

**REVIEW**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_4 months later_

Eric sat alone in his apartment. He was thinking about Calleigh. Again. She was constantly on his mind. They had had no closure. No body. No funeral. No suspect.

That was an awful lot to be without.

He sighed and let his head fall into his hands which were nursing yet another empty bottle of beer.

Their latest case was tough. Calleigh's replacement was an elderly man named Edward who was just as stuffy as his name suggested.

They had had their case for over a week and Edward had found something on the bullet. Eric couldn't help but think that Calleigh would have found it straight away. If she had, she may have been able to save their victims; two three year olds who had been kidnapped by their father who had been subsequently killed in an unrelated car accident without telling anyone the location of his children.

Eric somehow managed to stumble over to his couch where he subsequently fell into a fitful sleep even though it was only mid-morning. He hadn't been sleeping well ever since her disappearance.

Horatio and Natalia stepped out of the house into the brilliant sunlight. They had spent the day in Calleigh's place throwing away her food and tidying up the glass, blood and papers.

It had been hard. Thankfully Calleigh owned the place, so there was no need for them to worry about paying rent.

Sitting in a small coffee shop just down the road from her house, Natalia couldn't help but think of Calleigh's death. Going back into her house had just brought it back how gruesome her death had been. It was probably painful.

What got her the most though, was that she had not even tried to fight back. Although her place had been completely trashed, evidence pointed to a search rather than a struggle. What they had been searching for was anybody's guess. Calleigh wasn't really a person who had many secrets. She had always worn her heart on her sleeve.

It was Alexx Wood's day off. She was playing a game of snap with her son and losing spectacularly. Ever since her best friend's disappearance, it had been hard to concentrate on anything.

Disappearance. Although she had said that it was impossible for Calleigh to be alive after losing so much blood, she could still hope. A body was yet to turn up. Yet her medical brain was telling her that this was ridiculous.

Horatio Caine paused before entering the morgue. He had received a call right after he had finished in Calleigh's house. They had a body. Female aged approximately 30-35. About 5"5 and a little over 100lb. She had been pulled out of the water earlier that morning. She had been in there, the ME guessed, for somewhere between 3 and 5 months.

Her physical description matched, but after being in the water for that long, it was going to impossible to make an ID on her just by looking. They would have to wait 24hrs for the DNA results to come back.

He had decided against telling his team. He didn't want to get their hopes up. Thinking about it, it sounded terrible that they would be glad to see a body of their co-worker, their friend. But, a body meant closure and that they could get on with their lives without wondering if they would see her around the next corner.

Calleigh Duquesne shifted a little from her position on the floor, moaning in pain. She found it very difficult to see but as far as she could tell, she was in some sort of underground basement. Every single part of her hurt.

She wished it would all end. The only thing that kept her going was that she was sure that Eric, Horatio and the others would come bursting through the doors at any moment, to rescue her.

Little did she know, at that moment in time, her friends from the crime lab were holding a small, private memorial service for their fallen friend. Despite the DNA on the corpse from the river coming back as a negative match, the team had decided that it was time for them to give up the dead.

Nobody was coming.

**Please Review and let me know what you thought. Love it? Hate it? Criticisms or to quote my history teacher "any thoughts, queries or comments?"**

**Chapter 3 will be up as soon as possible.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The footsteps echoed down what Calleigh assumed was a hallway, although she had never actually seen it.

Somewhere, through the pain, that didn't make sense. The hallway was well lit, it was only her cell that was dark.

Today was different. The door did not bounce back off of its hinges as it usually did. Instead she heard three pairs of shoes enter the room and the door was closed softly behind them.

They circled their prey, closing in on her, before one of them grabbed what was left of her hair and forced her head back.

Calleigh's brain closed down as the men raped her repeatedly and crooned into her ear.

They left as soon as they had gotten what they wanted.

Once again, she was alone in the dark with only the pain which coursed through her body for company.

_**0o0o0o**_

The next day, the door bounced off of its hinges yet again, waking Calleigh from her fitful doze. She could hear the men shouting above her, but she couldn't work out what they were saying.

Two of them grabbed her, one at her wrists, and the other at her ankles and swung her limp form on to a rough wooden table as easily as if she were a rag doll.

A voice broke through the cloud of fog that had surrounded her for much of the past months. "I will ask you questions. Every time you do not answer, or give me an answer that I do not like, I will break a bone. We will start with your feet. When we have broken every bone there, we will break your ribs, then your legs, then your pelvis, arms, shoulders. If you still have not answered us, providing of course that you live, we will sever your spinal cord and paralyse you. Then we will burst your ear drums so that you will go deaf. Then we will blind you, although with the reaction to the drops that we put in your eyes that may not make much of a difference."

Calleigh felt her heart deflate. She had no doubt that he meant what he said.

The only upside to all of this was that it was extremely unlikely that she would live long enough to be paralysed, let alone to go blind and deaf.

"Shall we begin?"

Calleigh tensed herself for the pain that she knew would follow.

"What is your relationship with Horatio Caine?"

Calleigh steadfastly refused to say anything. If she could hang in long enough, she would pass out with pain, and eventually die. She couldn't live in this cell any longer.

CRACK!

A bone in her instep had just been snapped.

And so it went on. Her assailants asked her questions. She stayed silent. They broke a bone.

Within two hours, every single bone in both feet was broken, as were four of her ribs. She passed out.

_**0o0o0o**_

_Next day..._

"Well Miss Duquesne, I must say that you held out admirably well yesterday, but we are not yet finished with you. We will start again from where we left off."

That day they got as far as her pelvis. They took a hammer and smashed it into her in two places, one on either side. The pain was unbearable. She passed out, was revived, and passed out again.

_**0o0o0o**_

Days passed. Or it could have been weeks. Or even months. With no light it was impossible to tell.

Since they had smashed her pelvis, she had been pretty much left alone, but she knew that she couldn't take much more. She was in agony constantly.

Her limited first aid training led her to moving as little as possible. Not that she could have got anywhere even if she had wanted to. Every bone in her lower extremities was broken.

When they threw her food in everyday, she could not eat it unless it landed close enough to her body for her to grab without moving.

_**0o0o0o**_

"I will make a deal with you."

Calleigh forced her eyes open and her captor seemed to sense that this meant that she was paying attention.

"If you tell me what I want to know, I will leave you on Horatio Caine's doorstep. No strings attached"

Calleigh knew that this was the best she was going to get. If she ever wanted to see Eric, Alexx and all of her other friends from the crime lab again, then she would have to tell them what they wanted to know.

_**0o0o0o**_

Horatio Caine wearily trudged up the path to his front door. It was a dark, moonless night. It was rare for it to be so dark in the city. Squinting in the dark, he couldn't even make out his front door until he tripped over the step. He certainly did not see the figure lying in his grass, waiting for him to return home.

**SO, WHAT DID YOU THINK? REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The video recorder that was constantly set up in the corner of the room was trained on her. She was lying on the damp, dirty floor in the blackness of the room. Her captor sat in front of her in a creaky wooden chair.

Although she had never seen his face, she would recognise the smell anywhere. It was a pungent odour of too much aftershave, garlic and a chemical which, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't place.

The questions started. She answered them as best as she could, aware of how weak her voice sounded. A combination, she supposed from the only sound which she had been making recently was screaming in agony and the pain she was currently in from her bones starting to set in the wrong places.

The questions kept coming and so did her answers. The only think that she could think about were the faces of her team. Eric, Horatio, Natalia, Alexx and Ryan. If only she could keep going then she would be able to see them again.

Horatio was a good boss. He cared about his team, and didn't hesitate to do the right thing. In many ways, he was a much better father figure that her own had ever been.

Alexx was her best friend. For a long time they had been the only two women in the team and they had struck up camaraderie together because of it.

Natalia and Ryan were good team mates and good friends. They would always be there no matter what she needed them for.

Then there was Eric. She loved him. And now, she could die without telling him. He had always been a good partner and a good friend, but she wanted more. She wanted nothing in the world right now than his big strong arms to embrace her and carry her away from this nightmare.

_**0o0o0o**_

Hours later, she had been left alone again, with only the noise of her laboured breathing for company. She suspected that a bone fragment from one of her ribs had worked its way into somewhere that it shouldn't have.

She slipped into unconsciousness until the heavy door woke her up, banging off of its hinges and into the wall behind it.

She could not fail to scream in pain as she was carelessly thrown over one of the men's shoulders and carried down the brightly lit hallway that was so strangely dark.

Calleigh whimpered in pain as she was thrown into a bath full of tepid water and some sort of chemical. She recognised the smell, but was alarmed that her brain was stubbornly refusing to remember what it was. She knew what they were doing though, they were ridding her body of as much evidence as possible.

They scrubbed every part of her with long handled wooden brushes and dunked her head several times. When they were done they drained the bath and let more cold water run over her.

Calleigh was shivering. The basement which she was being held in was cold and all she had on was the tan trouser suit that she had been wearing when she was abducted. When they had taken her she had been about to change into her PJs. The suit was now ruined. Not that Calleigh ever wanted to see it again. But now it was gone. They tore it from her body and threw it on the floor. She had a nasty feeling that they planned to torch the place as soon as they left.

_**0o0o0o**_

Calleigh was manhandled into a car. She could tell that it was new because she could smell the new leather, but it also stank of cigarette smoke, making her choke on its smell.

She screwed up her eyes, trying to get a good look at the man who was driving, or his friend in the passenger seat. No matter how hard she tried though, she just couldn't seem to focus on them.

The ride was long and every jolt sent another spasm of pain through Calleigh's broken body. After a while, they had stopped for food. The smell assaulted her stomach and she only just managed to stop herself from being sick by focusing on her breathing. In and out, nice and slow.

As the car drove off again, she went back to concentrating on what they were saying, but it was proving difficult. Although she was fluent in Spanish, which was the language that they were using, her brain was not up to much and she was finding it almost impossible to concentrate on both that and fighting the nausea that was passing over her body in waves.

_**0o0o0o**_

After what seemed like an age, the car stopped again. It was pitch black outside as the two men from the car came round to the backseat and gagged her so that nobody would hear her scream. They then carelessly picked her up between them. She was carried as easily as a toddler carries her ragdoll and dumped unceremoniously onto the cold, hard grass.

She was lying partly on her side and partly on her stomach, partially concealed by a small shrub. It was uncomfortable to say the least and had the gag not been in place, she would be crying out in pain once again.

Calleigh lay there, fighting to stay conscious. She wasn't really sure where she was, but, if her captors had kept their promise, she was on Horatio's lawn.

Even if they hadn't, she could hear the distant noises of life. Someone would find her. They had to. With this thought going through her mind, Calleigh lost the battle and passed out again, minutes before Horatio's hummer pulled into his driveway, only about 10ft away from where her body lay.

She didn't even hear him stumble up his driveway as her mind was blissfully blank.

**REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER UPDATE TOMORROW HOPEFULLY!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I won nothing.**

**Also, to save me inventing a whole new set of characters for our doctors and nurses, I have decided to borrow the Grey's Anatomy cast, even if it is set in Seattle. Not necessary to watch it though. **

_**0o0o0o**_

It was dawn when Horatio was rudely awoken by the ringing of his phone. His hand fumbled against his bedside table as he reached for it.

He listened for a moment, before groaning and pulling himself out of his bed.

"Caine"

"H. It's Eric. We have a body in an abandoned house."

"I'm on my way Eric."

Horatio hung up the phone and made his way to the shower. He turned the water on full blast and as cold as he could bear it, trying to waken himself fully. He had only been in bed for about four hours.

After drying off he selected a black suit, holstered his gun and grabbed a banana and his sunglasses before heading out the door.

Horatio's sixth sense alerted him to something.

Someone was watching him.

He unholstered his gun and looked around, noticing an elbow sticking out from behind a bush.

Pointing it at the bush he called out in a commanding voice "Freeze!"

Keeping his gun raised and pointed at his bush, he stole round to the other side.

The sight that met his eyes made him freeze briefly before he ran forward to the eerily still figure that was his CSI.

She was lying on his lawn completely naked. The sight of her made his stomach turn. He had seen beaten victims before, but this was something else. Her skin was virtually purple, and it was clear that there were a lot of broken bones in her lower extremities.

He shoved his gun back into its holster and pulled out his mobile phone, dialling 999.

"I need an ambulance to 422 Mallory Street. We have an officer down!"

Horatio hung up the phone and knelt down beside Calleigh. He pulled off his suit jacket and gently laid it over her body and rested his fingers against her neck, looking for a pulse.

He gave a sigh of relief when he found one, weak and thready as it was.

"Calleigh, Sweetheart, can you hear me?"

Horatio was shocked beyond belief when she opened her eyes and replied with a hoarse yes.

"Calleigh you're going to be OK. I just need you to hang in there with me. The ambulance is on its way"

"It hurts Horatio."

"I know, but you have to stay with me. I lost you once. I don't want to lose you again."

0o0o0o

It seemed like an age before two female paramedics arrived and bundled Horatio out of their way.

Calleigh screamed in pain as they moved her onto a spinal board, despite the morphine that had been pumped into her system.

Horatio held her hand tightly as they bundled her into the ambulance. He had to turn away his face so that she wouldn't see the emotion on his face.

Calleigh moaned in agony with every jolt. Just above her, Horatio's face was fuzzy, but she could hear his low, comforting voice. He stroked her head with one hand, the other still holding hers.

0o0o0o

At the hospital, they were greeted by a large team of Doctor's and Horatio was bundled out of the way as Calleigh was raced into an emergency treatment room.

He sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs. No one had been to tell him anything.

The shrill buzz of his mobile brought him back to his sense and he answered it, trying to keep his voice as normal as possible.

"H! Where are you?" Eric's voice was frantic. Ever since Calleigh had 'died' he had been very protective of his other teammates.

"Eric. I'm at the hospital..."

"Why? What's happened? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine Eric. But I need you to do something for me."

"Anything".

"OK. I want you to round up Alexx, Natalia and Ryan and meet me here".

"Horatio, why?"

"It doesn't matter why Eric. Just do it please".

"OK." Eric hung up the phone. He was confused. Horatio never asked someone to do something without telling them why. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Meanwhile, Horatio sat down again on the chair. He knew that if he had told Eric what was up, he would have raced to the hospital to be with her. He did not need the two of them in here after he had crashed his car.

0o0o0o

Eric walked into the cool gleam of the morgue, calling for Alexx.

"Over here Sugar"

He walked over to her desk where she was filling out paperwork.

"Horatio wants us to meet him at the hospital"

"What! Why? Is he hurt?" she asked, standing up abruptly.

"All I could get out of him is that he's fine and wants you, me, Ryan and Natalia to meet him there"

Alexx put down her pen. "You find Ryan and I'll find Natalia and we'll meet at the car in five minutes."

Eric nodded and they left the morgue together.

Five minutes later, the four of them were speeding towards the hospital, oblivious to what they were going to find.

0o0o0o

Dr Own Hunt gasped in shock as he saw the state of the young woman in front of him. She was slipping in and out of consciousness and clearly in a great deal of pain.

"Page Dr Torres now!" (For anyone who does not know, Dr Callie Torres is an orthopaedic [bone] surgeon. Dr Hunt is a trauma surgeon).

Arriving in the trauma room, Calleigh was horrified. She had seen some pretty messed up stuff, but this was coming out top.

"Forget the X-Ray. We need an MRI. She can't wait".

0o0o0o

"Lieutenant Caine?"

Horatio looked up at the man and nodded. He had a calming presence and looked like he would be able to cope with anything.

"My name is Dr Sheppard. I am Miss Duquesne's doctor" (Dr Derek Sheppard is a nuero-surgeon and the chief of surgery).

"How is she?"

"Considering the circumstances, I'm amazed that she is still alive. Almost every bone in her lower extremities is broken, as are several of her ribs. We are also worried about her eyesight. She is finding it very difficult to focus on anything and reports that everything is blurry. We don't know what the cause of that is yet though."

Horatio nodded.

"I'm so sorry that I can't give you better news. I understand that she was believed dead six months ago."

"Can I see her?"

"We have taken her into emergency surgery to try and stabilise her. Dr Torres is one of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the country. It's not my area of expertise, but I would imagine that she will put metal pins into her legs and a special brace around her pelvis."

Horatio nodded again. "Thank-you Doctor".

0o0o0o

The rest of Horatio's team burst into the waiting room, Eric in the lead. Horatio stood to greet them.

"Horatio honey, what is it?"

"I think you should sit down first."

They sat, looking very apprehensive.

"I found Calleigh."

His team gasped in shock. Eric was gaping like a fish, trying to comprehend the news.

"Can we assume that seeing as she was brought here and not to Alexx that she's still alive?" asked Natalia.

"You can. She was dumped on my lawn this morning. I just spoke to her doctor. She is in emergency surgery. Almost all of her bones in her lower extremities are broken and she is having serious problems with her vision".

They looked horrified but sat down beside Horatio, keeping up a silent vigil for their friend.

0o0o0o

It was a further 14 hours before they heard anything more.

"Are you the family for Calleigh Duquesne?"

When they nodded, she continued. "I'm Dr Torres. I just performed her surgery. I'm pleased to say that she tolerated it incredibly well. We set the broken bones in her legs and feet. Her legs have metal plates in them and are wrapped in special bandages as we could not use a regular plaster of paris cast. Her pelvis is causing the most worry. It was an unstable fracture, and I have used an external fixator to try and aid recovery"

As the rest of the team tried to digest the information, Alexx's medical knowledge allowed her to get in and ask questions.

"What do you think are her chances of walking again?"

"I honestly don't know. At this point in time I would say that if her bones heal well, it may happen, but she will be in a lot of pain and I would say that she may always need some form of support. However, it is entirely possible that she will walk unaided. At this stage, it is almost impossible to tell."

"What about her vision loss?"

"All I know is that her MRI showed nothing out of the ordinary. We will be giving her a work out in that respect tomorrow, when she is more alert."

"Can we see her?" asked Natalia

"She will be waking up soon. You can have a few minutes each, but no more. I don't want to exhaust her."

"Why don't you go in first Horatio, seeing as it was you who found her." Said Ryan

Horatio nodded, and opened the door to Calleigh's room.

**REVIEW! WHAT DO YOU THINK?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Calleigh was in a private room. She looked terrible. She was so pale that she blended into the off white pillow remarkably well.

The steady beep...beep...beep of the heart monitor was the only sound that was keeping Horatio company as he made his way over to her bed and sat down on a chair beside her.

He gently took the hand that lay on the sheet. It was cold. He tried not to look at her lower half which, due to the awkward bandages and external fixator round her pelvis, was twice its normal size.

As he sat there, he couldn't think of anything meaningful to say. What did you say to a woman who you gave up for dead and then, six months later, turned up naked on your lawn?

A rap on the door signalled that it his time was up, and he left, squeezing her hand tightly, giving his other team mates a chance to see her.

_**0o0o0o**_

Alexx was the last to go in. When she had come out, they were met by Dr Sheppard.

"I expect Calleigh to be waking up within the next few hours. We didn't want to put her under too much sedation during the surgery. If one of you were here when she wakes up, it may be helpful in us keeping her calm..."

"I'll stay" volunteered Alexx.

Alexx re-entered the stark hospital room and resumed her position beside Calleigh's bed.

_**0o0o0o**_

Several Hours Later...

A small moan came from the bed and Calleigh rolled her head and opened her eyes.

"Calleigh baby, can you hear me?" asked Alexx, while pushing the emergency button that was connected to the nurses' station.

Two of them rushed into the ICU as did Dr Sheppard.

"OK. Calleigh? Can you hear me? You're in the hospital. My name is Dr Sheppard and I'm your Doctor"

Calleigh opened her eyes, but she looked terrified. Alexx took hold of her hand, and remembering what she had been told about the vision loss, gently reached out to move Calleigh's face towards her, and moved in close so that she could be seen.

Calleigh clearly recognised the touch as she grabbed desperately at the front of Alexx's shirt.

Alexx took hold of her wrist and gently slid her other arm under Calleigh's back, giving her a half hug, but unwilling to move her too much in her present condition.

Alexx sat in her awkward position for nearly an hour before Calleigh fell back to sleep. Even then, she was afraid to move too much in case she woke her friend.

**I KNOW THAT IT IS SHORT. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LONGER, BUT IT WONT BE UP UNTIL THURSDAY BECAUSE I HAVE AN EXAM TO REVISE FOR TOMORROW.**

**PLEASE REVIEW. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Sorry that it took so long. I won't be able to get the chapters up as often but the story has not been abandoned and my exams are now officially over so I will have more time. Thank-you for being patient.**

Eric arrived at the hospital the next morning with a bunch of daffodils for Calleigh which he knew were her favourite flowers. It was a good choice for her. They were sunny and cheerful, just like she was.

As he entered her room, he was horrified to find it empty and he practically ran to the nurses' station all sorts of thoughts running through his mind. Like how in films when a person died in hospital you usually found out by seeing their empty room.

He was very relieved to find out that she had just been taken for a scan to find out what the cause of her vision loss was.

Eric waited in her room for her to come back. He had taken two weeks of his owed holiday time and was hoping to spend of much of it as he possibly could with Calleigh. He had more time than that but was planning to save some of it for when she was released. She was going to need a lot of help.

His thoughts began to wonder back over the last few days. He couldn't even begin to describe the feelings that he had had when Alexx said that she would not be able to survive with the amount of blood that was in her apartment. To have lost her and then found her.

She was still Calleigh, but she could be so different. Such a long period in captivity and being tortured would do that to you. Then you had to factor in her other injuries. The possibilities of paralysis or blindness. Or both. It didn't bear thinking about.

When their case had turned and they had had no body, he had sunk into a deep depression, unable to function properly without her smile there to reassure him that his life was worth living after all. He loved her so much. Had told her too. They had been in the beginnings of a relationship when she had been abducted. Everything had been exciting and new.

But now? Would she still want him? She might not want anybody near her or feel that Eric was only staying out of pity or a sense of duty. She would be wrong. He loved her so much. When he thought that she was dead, it had taken every ounce of perseverance that he had just to get out of bed in the morning.

After a case which had been heavily reliant on ballistics work to crack it open, he had found himself staring down the barrel of his gun. It was Alexx who had talked him out of it when she had walked into his apartment unannounced because she was worried about him. It turned out that it was a good thing. He would not like Calleigh to ever know that he had very seriously considered suicide.

0o0o0o

A short while later, Calleigh's bed was wheeled back into the little room. Eric stood up as her bed was locked into place and walked over beside her, taking her hand.

"Hey" he whispered softly.

She turned to face him, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"How are you?"

"Eric?"

"Yeah"

"Just checking. I think the voices that I have in my memory are a little off and I can't see you right. You are unbelievably blurry".

"Don't worry about it. I'm just so glad that you are alive. Everything else will come."

She reached out and he took her hand. Holding it tightly he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. The ghost of the smile reappeared.

0o0o0o

"Miss Duquesne, I have the results of your tests from earlier this morning." Said Dr Sheppard, striding into the room.

Calleigh nodded and Eric took hold of her hand once again.

"First off, exactly how much can you see?"

"If someone is really close, I can just about make out their face, but even then, it's really fuzzy".

Dr Sheppard nodded. "There is nothing showing up on our scans. I think that someone had dropped chemicals of some sort into your eyes."

"What does that mean?" asked Eric, sounding very concerned.

"We are going to try and start you on some treatment but we need your permission. It's a bit of a gamble. Within a few weeks you will either have your sight restored or within months, it could cause your sight to deteriorate even further to the point where you can no longer see anything. However, without treatment, the damage to your sight will be permanent and there is still the possibility of you losing it all together."

Calleigh turned her head away from the Dr, trying, unsuccessfully not to let the tears roll down her face.

"How bad could her sight get?"

"I am afraid that we are talking total blindness to the point that you will have no light perception. You would nit be able to tell night from day."

Eric rubbed her shoulder. "Are you saying that if she has the treatment she will either be healed or will go totally blind and if she doesn't she could still go blind?"

Dr Sheppard nodded again. "I'm afraid so. I'm so sorry that I can't give you better news. I'll give you some time to think over your options."

Calleigh seemed incapable of responding so Eric thanked Dr Sheppard who then left the room.

Eric didn't know what to say. How could Calleigh end up blind?

He wrapped his strong arms around her fragile frame, being careful not to jar her injuries and he held her while she cried.

How did anyone make such an impossible choice? If she did nothing, her sight would remain the same. If she did have the treatment she could lose so much of her sight that she would no longer be able to tell light from dark. Or she could get better.

It was estimated that she had about 20/200 vision in her right and 15/200 in her left. That meant that she was already legally blind.

Maybe the choice was not so hard when you put it that way. If she was already blind, what did she have to lose?

_**0o0o0o**_

When Calleigh next woke, Eric was gone. The room was darker than it had been and she guessed that it was night time.

She wasn't sure what had woken her.

It wasn't the pain. The morphine had seen to that.

It was more like a sense of being watched, by someone who didn't want her to know that they were there.

Now she was frightened.

They could be standing right beside her and she wouldn't be able to see them.

She had no weapons and had no idea where the call button was for one of the nurses to come in.

She laid still, her body tense, waiting for a sound that would confirm her suspicions.

Nothing moved. Had she just imagined it? Or was there somebody there?

She didn't have the courage to open her mouth and find out.

She lay there, tense for several more minutes before the door to her room slid open. She couldn't help but scream.

The person rushed over to her bedside and put their hand on her arm.

"Calleigh. It's just me" said Alex's voice.

Calleigh relaxed and allowed herself to sink back down into the pillows as Alex settled herself in the chair beside her bed.

"Eric told me baby. I'm so sorry."

"What do I do Alexx?"

"You do the treatment honey. It is your only option."

Calleigh nodded. "If it doesn't work?"

Alexx could see that Calleigh had wanted to ask this question for a long time. "Then you will adapt. Being blind would not mean the end of the world. You would go to rehab to learn how to readjust and then you would get your life back. Your friends will be beside you every step of the way no matter what the prognosis. We lost you once. We don't want to lose you again."

It was true that they had all been to see her. Alexx, Eric, Frank, Ryan and Natalia. Even Kyle had dropped in briefly. There was only one thing that bugged her. Horatio had only been while she was unconscious. She would give it a few days before asking about him. Maybe he was busy.

0o0o0o

Alexx was busy catching Calleigh on the happenings of the lab when a nurse bustled in on her rounds, shooing Alexx home for the night.

Alexx stood up ready to leave and was half way out the door when Calleigh called back to her "Tell Dr Sheppard that I'll do the treatment."

She had decided. If she was going to go blind then so be it but she was not going down without a fight. Likewise she was determined to be that one in a million and walk again. She had to.

If she ended up blind or paralysed she would no longer be able to have Eric. She couldn't trap him in a relationship like that where it was very possible that he would have to take care of her, at least in the beginning.

She knew what it was like, having to care for someone out of a sense of duty and how much you grew to resent them. She never wanted her relationship with Eric to end even if it meant going back to being friends.

**REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Basically, nothing much is happening in the next lot of weeks in my story plan so I have decided to put it all into one chapter so as not to bore anyone.**

**0o0o0o**

_3 weeks later_

It was early evening. Calleigh was lying on the bed, fingering the corner of the quilt. Her iPod was playing one of her favourite songs from somewhere beside her.

Natalia and Ryan had been with her earlier that afternoon, but they had both been called away to the brutal murder of a billionaire. The whole team had been called in on this one and Calleigh suspected that it could be a few days before one of them was able to tear themselves away long enough for a quick visit, except maybe Alexx.

Alexx.

Alexx had been there the day before when Dr Sheppard told her that.

The elephant which had been in the room ever since.

The treatment for her eyes. It hadn't worked. There was nothing more that they could do. It was only a matter of time before her world darkened completely. As it was she could only make out night and day as well as some vague shadows.

Disconcerting as that it was it was better than the totally dark world that would come within the next week or two. She would be able to see nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

_0o0o0o_

10 days later

It was a little after 7.30am when Eric arrived at the hospital. It promised to be a good day however as the sky was a clear, periwinkle blue and the heat was starting to build up already.

He made his way up to the small private room that she had occupied and sat down beside her while she slept. He knew it wouldn't be long before she woke. Calleigh had always been an early riser.

Just as the thoughts were running through his head, Calleigh began to stir and her eyelids fluttered.

Then she opened her mouth and screamed.

Eric froze for an instant, unable to fathom what on earth was the matter.

Snapping out of it he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her close to him.

Calleigh sagged against him and he nearly dropped her. She just managed to choke out "It's gone" in the midst of her sobs before a nurse rushed in to sedate her before she did herself another injury.

Eric understood. She was wholly blind now. Even her light perception was gone.

_0o0o0o_

A week later.

Horatio was sitting in his hummer outside the hospital. He still had not been to visit Calleigh.

He felt so guilty. When Eric told him that she had lost all of her sight, he had been devastated. Even if she wanted it, there was no way that she would be able to keep her job now.

And there was still the possibility that she would never walk again.

His only information about his fallen CSI came from Frank. The rest of his team would not discuss her in front of him. They had taken the line that of he couldn't go in and see her, then he didn't deserve any information.

Horatio knew that they all found the visits hard. From what he knew, she was very weak and in constant pain. She had panic attacks and had had to be sedated when she had awoken to darkness.

He just couldn't help it. He felt so guilty.

His thoughts had carried him from the hummer to standing outside the door of her room. She was alone but the door was open.

Seeing her, he couldn't face going inside. The way her head snapped up at every little sound.

The way she had jumped a mile when a nurse had touched her arm when she went to take her temperature.

The way she spilt all her water when she went to reach for the glass because she couldn't see it.

And how she cried when she did it.

The guilt tore him up. If he had not given up when she had first gone missing then they might have found her.

If that had happened, they wouldn't be in this position.

Horatio turned round and left the hospital.

He couldn't face it.

**I know that this was short and the next chapter will skip another few weeks till she starts undergoing physio.**

**Please review. I don't think many people are reading this story so let me know if you think that I should continue. The more reviews I get, the faster I update.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**This is taking place 6 months after Calleigh was found. In a brief summary of what has happened in the period that I have skipped over – Horatio has still not visited (I'll deal with that in the next few chapters), Calleigh and Eric have had a couple of kisses but nothing more, Calleigh has started to adjust to the blindness and has been learning some techniques for basic living as well as introductory Braille. Her casts are gone and the external fixator which was on her pelvis was removed several weeks previously. She has been having physio but today will be her first day that she stands up.**

0o0o0o

If you did not read that big paragraph up there then you really should because otherwise you will be really confused!

Calleigh was waiting in her room with Natalia. She was dreading the moment when the door would open and her physiotherapist, Anne would come in.

She was short, athletic and very cheerful. She was also a total slave driver.

You couldn't get away with anything under her gaze.

And it didn't bear thinking about if she caught you slacking.

Alexx was supposed to have been there for this. The big day as Eric had put it. But, unfortunately she had been called away at the last minute as had Eric. He was diving, looking for evidence and bodies from a boat that had sunk with over 80 children on board in shark infested waters. There had been 4 survivors. Alexx was doing the autopsies.

Natalia had not wanted Calleigh to be alone for this.

0o0o0o

The door to the room slid open and Anne came bounding into the room. She came over to Calleigh's bed with a wheelchair which she parked beside it.

This was it.

Anne fiddled with the controls on Calleigh's bed, bringing it down to the lowest possible level and raising the pillows. She then helped Calleigh to roll onto her side facing the chair. Anne hooked her arm under Calleigh's shoulder and wrapped the other one round her thighs, swinging her feet to the floor.

Then it was going to be the hard part. Calleigh was going to have to help lift her body into the chair. On the count of three, they went together, Calleigh crying out in pain.

Natalia had to look away, glad that Calleigh could not see the tears in her eyes.

Anne kept her knees at the back of Calleigh's supporting the vast majority of her weight into the chair.

Calleigh moaned in pain again as her body was lowered into the chair. She had not been out of a bed since she had arrived.

Anne pushed Calleigh towards the drafty lift where they went down two floors to the physio therapy department.

0o0o0o

In the physio room Anne parked Calleigh's wheelchair beside an arm chair which Natalia sat in and she took the one opposite.

"Calleigh, I have to prepare you for this. You know I don't sugar coat things and I think that you appreciate the honesty. Am I correct?"

Calleigh nodded.

"This is going to be painful. The fractures themselves have healed but as you know you still have three metal plates and eight screws in there that we won't be able to take out. They are what's holding the weaker joins together but as I said, this is still going to hurt. What we are going to do is park your wheelchair between the parallel bars and then I will help you to stand up. We have two strong, handsome, young men here and they will take an arm each and help you to support your weight. We will only go a few paces today, but we'll build it up over time. Are you ready?"

"Yes" she said firmly, a determined look of resolve on her face.

Greg and Andy took a firm grip, one on each arm and Anne wrapped her arms around Calleigh's torso and together they pulled her to her feet.

Calleigh cried out, unable to choke back the sound.

They only managed three steps before they helped her back into her wheelchair, as she whimpered in pain.

Anne squatted down in front of her. "That was good Calleigh. We're going to give it a couple of more goes and then leave it for the day. After that we will be having daily sessions."

0o0o0o

Later, when she was back in her bed, Calleigh was exhausted. The therapy session had been very tiring. Even sitting in the wheelchair had been uncomfortable and she could only lie down if she was flat on her back. It was going to be a long ride until she got to the finish line when she would be able to walk unaided.

Eric had done some research for her. From what he had found out it could be up to 18 months before she could walk unaided if at all and she would probably have discomfort for the rest of her life. Even if she did relearn to walk, once she got older and her joints started to stiffen she would most likely need to start using the chair again for long distances and, eventually, full time. It was a depressing thought.

0o0o0o

Within the next two weeks Calleigh had managed to build herself up to ten steps with Greg and Andy holding her arms, Anne in front and Natalia, Alexx or Eric on the sidelines cheering her on.

Anne was very enthusiastic about her progress.

Calleigh was pleased, but she didn't know how much more her body could take. Every movement felt as if someone was jabbing a red hot poker into her pelvis and she was still crying out in agony as she did her very best to shuffle forward a few steps.

If she was honest, all she wanted was to get out of the hospital. She couldn't go home. That was where it had started. She didn't want the memories haunting her as she was trying to get her life back. Besides, it had stairs all over the place and narrow doorways that her chair would never be able to fit through.

Eric had offered her a place with him when she got released. He lived in a large two bedroom apartment with a lift. It was open planned, the bathroom was big enough to manoeuvre a chair and the doorways were all double wide. It would be perfect.

But she couldn't impose. Calleigh was not naive. She was stubborn, headstrong and determined but she was also a realist. She knew she was going to need a lot of caring for. There would be a lot of movements such as picking up something that she had dropped or putting on her socks, trousers and panties that would be exceptionally painful because of the bending involved and she would need assistance for. Manoeuvring in and out of a car was going to be another big one that would be hard.

She hated the idea, but she suspected that she was going to have to reside in some sort of assisted care facility.

0o0o0o

Dr Violet Turner, Calleigh psychiatrist was sitting in her car, thinking about her patient. What that woman had gone through, she couldn't imagine. Even her own experiences didn't even begin to compare in the long run*(see bottom of chapter).

They were having daily sessions and although on the outside it appeared that she was working through what had happened to her, she was sceptical. Talking with the woman's friends she knew that Calleigh was naturally sunny natured and guessed that besides her captivity and its consequences, the non-appearance of one Horatio Caine was weighing heavily on her mind, and linked to her depression.

That was the reason that she was currently parked outside Miami Dade Crime Lab.

Calleigh's boyfriend Eric was meeting her and had agreed to show her Calleigh's old lab and what they did there so that she could get a feel for what Calleigh's life had been like in the past. Then she was planning to ambush Horatio and find out what was holding him back.

0o0o0o

As promised, Eric was waiting for her at the door, ready with a visitors pass and together they went up the stairs to the ballistics lab.

Edward (Calleigh's replacement) gave Violet a quick run through of what exactly the job entailed and Eric then filled her in on how long Calleigh had been working there and her relationship with her team mates.

They walked as the discussed this, finishing their turn outside Horatio's office where the Lieutenant was doing paper work.

Violet raised her hand on knocked on the glass door...

**Well there's Chapter 9. I hope that you enjoyed it.**

***Violet Turner is a psychiatrist from Private Practice which is a spin off series from Grey's Anatomy where I borrowed my other doctors from. Her experience that I referred to was having her baby cut from her stomach by a mad woman.**

**Please Review. They inspire me to write much faster. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**This chapter has skipped another few weeks since Dr Turner went to talk to Horatio. He is now waiting to see her when she comes back from physio. **

**0o0o0o**

Calleigh was exhausted but elated as Anne pushed her wheelchair back into her room. She had just managed to stand with only a little support from Greg and Andy and taken 12 steps which was her furthest distance yet.

Positioning the wheelchair beside the bed, Anne wrapped her arms around Calleigh's torso and together they pivoted Calleigh's wait onto the bed and after Anne had helped settle her patient, she left the room.

She was slowly becoming stronger again. Anne had reassured her that the speed of her recovery would hasten and it would not be too long before she would be able to use a walker, and then crutches for shorter distances, and hopefully, abandon them altogether in a year or two.

Calleigh reached out to her bedside table and wrapped her fingers around her cup and jug. Putting her fingers inside the cup she was able to pour herself a glass of water without spilling any or having the cup overflow.

She had settled herself back onto her pillows when she suddenly had the feeling that she was no longer in the room alone.

"Is someone there?" she called out, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. She couldn't think who it would be. Anyone who worked in the hospital and her team mates all knew by now that they had to tell her that they were there.

She heard a gasp and a chair being scrapped across the linoleum floor.

"It's... uh...uh... it's me." The voice managed to spit out.

Calleigh thought for a moment. She knew that voice. "Horatio?" Her tone was incredulous.

He nodded.

"Are you nodding? Because I'm pretty sure that someone in your team has told you by now that I can't see that."

Horatio was shocked as the words spit venomously from her mouth. Never, in all the years he had known her had he heard her so angry. Not that she didn't have every right to be. He was ashamed of how long it had taken him to come here.

"Calleigh, I'm sorry"

"You're sorry? You're sorry? I was tortured and held captive for months. I have been in here, going through hell for another six. I lost my sight. I can't walk and you have the nerve to come in here and tell me that you're sorry!" she was practically screaming the words at him.

"What else do you want me to say Calleigh?" He sounded defeated as he paced the room.

"The first thing you can do" she snarled "Is to stop pacing. You are driving me crazy. Either sit down or get out."

Horatio looked at the door, longing to escape from this woman that he did not recognise, but he sat. He would never forgive himself if he left now.

"Umm... I sat..."

"I know that. I'm blind, not stupid. If you had left the door would have opened unless you had decided to take a flying leap out of my open window. And you moved the chair as far away from my bed as possible. Move it back over here. If you are going to stay, then we are going to talk but you do not get to cower from me anymore."

More ashamed than ever, Horatio picked up his chair and brought it beside her bed where he sat down. When she spoke, she was no longer shouting, but there was a distinctly cold edge to her voice that he had never heard before.

"I know you Horatio. Or, at least, I thought I did. It turns out that I don't. The Horatio I knew would have been here fussing like a mother hen with one chick until he got kicked out. I know you feel guilty for closing the investigation, but you shouldn't. According to protocol, you made the right decision. I don't blame you for that. What I do blame you for is for not having the guts to come and visit me, even once."

"I know Calleigh. You have no idea how guilty I have felt. First about closing the investigation and then not coming to see you, even after I knew about your prognosis."

There was a tense silence which Calleigh refused to fill as she glared at a point just over Horatio's left shoulder, waiting for him to say something else.

Horatio was visibly shaking after hearing her harsh words, which he knew he wholly deserved and more. Her gaze was unwavering, but it killed him to see her glaring at some unseen point over his shoulder.

"I know that nothing I ever say or do will be able to make it up to you and that the relationship that we shared is over. I was too holed up in myself to be there when you needed me most, and for that, I am sorry. I am not asking for forgiveness, I only want to say that, should it ever come to it, the same thing will not happen again."

"I know that it won't happen again Horatio but you are right. Our relationship is so over but we can build a new one. It will be different because I'm afraid that these last six months have caused me to lose any trust and respect that I had for you. But, your team has been there for me and I do not want the team dynamics to break down because of me. I know what that can lead to, so for that reason, I can be civil."

**0o0o0o**

Eric made his way up to Calleigh's room. He was running a little late, he had planned to be there for her physio session but had got caught up in a case.

Turning right at the end of the hall, he stopped dead in his tracks. Horatio was in the room with Calleigh. She was glaring in his direction and was clearly very angry, but he had arrived just in time to hear her last words as he slid open the door.

"Hey Calleigh! It's only me."

"It's never _only _you Eric" she smiled reaching out and hugging him tightly. She shifted slightly in her bed, and Eric sat down beside her."

"I think I should go now"

"That's probably a good idea Horatio, but you can come back you know."

"I'll remember that Calleigh. Thank-you".

He pushed back his chair and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as he had left, Calleigh sagged in Eric's arms, trying very unsuccessfully to hold in her emotions.

It had been a long day, both physically and emotionally and it wasn't long before sleep took hold of her.

0o0o0o

Horatio collapsed in a chair, just down the hall. That had been the worst hour ever.

Not that he didn't deserve it.

His team was civil to him, but they no longer came to him with anything personal as they once had. He knew that they were all ashamed of him and his behaviour.

He deserved that too.

He was the team leader; he was supposed to be the glue that held them all together.

Instead, his team were going to Calleigh, despite her being in hospital, they were relying on her to not let the team dynamics break down.

The worst was still to come. With no prospect of getting her sight back, Horatio was going to have to tell Calleigh that she could no longer be a CSI. It just wouldn't be possible.

There were other options. She could take a teaching position or consult on cases, but he knew that pretty much her whole life was her job.

**0o0o0o**

**I'm going to skip forward another bit in the next chapter because now that she has met with Horatio, I want to focus on her recovery and I feel that the next major step will be getting her home, but she's not quite ready for that at this stage of the story.**

**Review and tell me what you thought!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Just to clear up some confusion from the last chapter, this is an EC fic. The relationship that I referred to in the chapter was their relationship as co-workers, team mates and friends, not romantically. She asks him to come back, because although she has lost respect for him, she doesn't hate him.**

**0o0o0o**

This has skipped another period of time. Calleigh has now been in hospital for 9 months.

Calleigh and Eric were sitting outside together on Calleigh's balcony. Eric had pulled a chair from her room out with him and Calleigh was settled in a wheelchair, which she was spending more and more time in. She had finally progressed to using crutches to get around, as long as she wasn't going too far and could even walk short distances unaided except for a long white cane which she had been taught how to use. It was a huge triumph and now Dr Sheppard was talking about sending her home in the next month or two.

"Have you thought any more about my offer?" asked Eric, referring to when he asked her to move in with him.

"Yes"

"And?"

"Eric I love you so much, but I can't impose. You where there when the orientation and mobility specialist was here. I need to learn my way around a space and not have anything move from where I have learnt. We both know you aren't a tidy person. And, I still get days where the pain is so bad that I can't move. I couldn't ask you to take care of me that way."

"Calleigh" his tone was serious and he took both of her hands in his. "I love you so much that it hurts. When we were told that you were dead, I committed suicide and I would have done it to if Alexx had not stopped me."

Calleigh gasped. She had no idea that it had been that bad.

"But now, that we have you back, all I can think about is how much I love you, and how much I went to spend all of my time with you. Having you with me, in my house, would be pure heaven, even if I had to do every little thing for you I would because I love you."

"Eric, nothing would make me happier than to love with you, but there are things that you can't even imagine. I wake up screaming several times every single night. I can't stand up long enough to take a shower, especially on the wet surface, so I have to take a bath, but I can't get in or out by myself..."

Eric shushed her. "If those are the only obstacles that you can think of, then its settled" he said, leaning in and kissing her on the lips.

**0o0o0o**

As she lay in bed that night, Calleigh couldn't believe that she was being so selfish. She wanted to live with Eric more than anything, but she would have a serious impact on his lifestyle. She decided that she would allow them a trial. One month, and if it wasn't working out then she would move with no guilt or consequences for either part.

**0o0o0o**

Meanwhile, Eric was tidying up his apartment. It was on the second floor but there was a lift. He got rid of all the junk that was scattered all over the place, trying to find a place for everything.

If Calleigh was going to move in with him, he might as well start making adjustments to his lifestyle. He had already cleared out half of his dresser and wardrobe where she could put her clothes and had erected a second bookshelf next to his. She had started to get quite good at Braille recently and already had a large stack of books beside her bed.

Having finally finished, he sat down on his bed and pulled a small box from his pocket. He pressed open the catch and the lid flipped open. Inside was an engagement ring. He knew that she wasn't ready yet. She was still recovering from everything that had happened, but she would be one day soon, and when that day happened, he would propose.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Calleigh's Going Home!**

**0o0o0o**

It was her last day. 11 ½ months of daily physio therapy, tri-weekly counselling services, near constant pain and never a moment of peace. She was going home.

Well, it wasn't really home. She was never going back there. She was staying with Eric. At least for now.

Before she was taken, this would have been her dream. It still was, but she was trying not to let herself consider the possibility that he pitied her or was staying with her because he felt he had to.

She just couldn't get those thoughts out of her head. No matter how many times she schooled herself that she knew Eric and that he would not stay with them out of pity or a sense of duty.

Calleigh sighed and flipped up the crystal on her Braille watch that Alexx had given her and she ran her fingers lightly over the surface.

9.56am

She was late. Her therapy session started in 4 minutes and she had to go down several stories and across the building. Under her own steam.

For the last three weeks she had been making the distance with no walking aids unless you counted the long white cane that she tapped in front of her on the floor.

When she had first been given it, she had hated its cool metal feel which was so alien to her. Actually, when the O&M (Orientation and Mobility) specialist had left, she had thrown it across the room, muttering obscenities under her breath.

When she had first started to use it, it had felt like a neon advertising sign saying "Hey! Everybody! Look at me! I'm blind!" She had cursed the stupid thing and herself for needing it.

Now? Well, she couldn't actually say that she loved the thing, but she was getting there. She had mastered the best way to use it, but within the next month or so she would be having a couple of sessions per week outside the house with an O&M instructor who would teach her to familiarise herself with a room, cross the street safely, get from place to place and use public transport. She was looking forward to being independent again.

Calleigh had always hated having to rely on other people.

She had even had a lady come down to talk to her about the possibility of a guide dog, but she had vetoed that idea. Guide dogs were usually big dogs who could be very powerful, not to mention all the walks that they would need. It would be too much for her. More than likely she would be unable to walk the dog as much as it would need every day, and with her pelvis in the precarious state that it was, she really needed to set her own pace.

**0o0o0o**

By this stage she had reached the physio suite and entered its cool interior.

Anne made her go through a gruelling hour of hard work, pushing her barley healed body to its limit. By the time it was over, Calleigh was crying in pain.

When she left the hospital, she would still have weekly sessions until Anne said that she could stop, but Dr Turner had told her that she did not need any more counselling unless she requested it.

She made her way slowly back to her room and rolled her wheelchair into the specially adapted shower that could accommodate a wheelchair. The water was soothing to her sore body as she washed her long hair with some nice shampoo that Natalia had bought for her.

She would miss the shower. Eric's bathroom was nowhere near big enough for one of these, so she would have to take baths because she didn't trust herself on such a slippery surface.

After towelling off, she was excited about getting dressed. All that she had really been wearing were jogging bottoms and old t-shirts because they were so much more comfortable.

Not today. Today she was wearing something nice. A lady from the blind rehabilitation centre had been there with most of Calleigh's clothes, helping her sew Braille labels into everything.

Alexx had brought the outfit in specially. It was a long cream blouse with tiny cream flowers embroidered on it and a pair of straight brown trousers. The look was slightly marred by the pair of extra comfortable trainers. It would take a while before she was ready to wear her high-heels again.

And thdn she was ready. Her clothes were packed and in a suitcase along with her toiletries. There was a box full of books that had been keeping her occupied, herself and her cane. She really was ready and this was actually happening. All that remained was for Dr. Sheppard to come and give her one last check up and to sign the discharge papers and then she could go.

**0o0o0o**

Hospital policy dictated that Calleigh had to leave in a wheelchair and it was Eric had arrived to collect her, pushing her through the doors, privately hoping that he would never see them again. You knew that you spent too much time there when you knew what shift each doctor and nurse worked and were on a first name basis with them all.

Arriving at the car, he locked the breaks on the chair and helped Calleigh into the front passenger seat, before loading the chair, a pair of crutches, the box of books and the suitcase into the boot.

Calleigh had never been so pleased to leave somewhere in her life. If she ever saw a hospital again it would be too soon. It was a nice feeling sitting in the car beside Eric. The last car she had been in was the drive to Horatio's house, almost a year ago.

The journey was silent, but not uncomfortable, with both occupants to wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Eric was thinking about the changes he had made to accommodate her, hoping that they would be enough.

The furniture was spaced to create clear straight lines that would have the dual beneficiary effect of being easy for her to navigate without sight and providing enough room to manoeuvre a wheelchair on her bad days when she was unable to walk.

The cupboards, fridge and freezer had all been meticulously organised in a logical fashion and all of his food had been labelled with Braille labels.

Secretly, he had closed his eyes and tried hard to read them, but it had been impossible. His hands were clumsy and manual labour as a teenager had dulled the nerves at the end which had led to him being totally unable to distinguish one pattern of raised dots from another.

Even their bedroom, the study and spare room had been organised. He had labelled all of his clothes, cleared the spare room of junk and bought a second desk and chair for her. He had also secretly taken her laptop and installed it with a software programme that would read the screen to her.

The last job had been the bathroom. The medicine in the cabinet had Braille labels, but other than that, she would be bringing her own toiletries, which she would be able to distinguish from their shape and smell.

He was sure that the apartment was as ready for her as it was ever going to be. All that was missing was her.

**0o0o0o**

The ride had not been too long and Calleigh and Eric pulled up outside their apartment some 20 minutes later.

Calleigh knew where he had parked and when he stopped, she got out, and trailing her fingers along the car to keep her bearings, stopped beside the driver's side door. Eric tapped the back of her hand the way he had been shown and she reached up to take a hold of his arm, just above the elbow.

They had been told that Eric was acting as what was called a sighted guide and they had both been trained as to the most effective way to make it work for them.

They had practiced at the hospital, and Calleigh actually preferred to use his arm than her cane whenever it was possible. Regular use of her cane would lead to sprains and stresses on her wrist which could render her unable to leave the house for several days by herself without it. Besides, Eric's warm bicep felt much nicer to hold than apiece of cold, white metal.

Together, they travelled up the lift to the second floor and entered the third door on the right. Calleigh pulled out her cane, and as they had been told, they started counting steps. This would allow her to travel around the apartment safely and with no cane or sighted guide.

She had been reassured that after just a week or two, she would be so confident in moving in the apartment that a stranger would not even know that she was blind. Calleigh really liked the idea.

Eric sat on the sofa and allowed Calleigh to count steps, using the cane to feel obstructions and learn distances.

She was surprised that it didn't take even nearly as long as she suspected, but she was shattered by the end of it and flopped onto the sofa beside Eric, who had just ordered an extra large pepperoni pizza, when she was done.

They were just relaxing in each other's embrace when the doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of the pizza. Eric went to get up, but Calleigh pushed him back down, a playful smile on her lips.

She answered the door and paid the delivery woman the correct amount of change, which she had fished from her purse. Eric was seriously impressed and as they burnt their tongues on hot cheese, he asked her about it.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Figure out what money to give that woman?"

"Oh that" she laughed. Calleigh pulled out her purse and opened it to the section where she kept her paper money. "I fold 5's in half, 10's in half long ways and put a crease in 20's. I haven't had any bigger bills on me so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Coins all feel different anyway."

Eric laughed and leaned over the coffee table where they were sitting and kissed her. This was nice he reflected.

He wished the circumstances were slightly different and that Calleigh didn't have to go blind for it to happen, but having his girlfriend live with him was _very _nice.

**0o0o0o**

**So, she's home! Finally!**

**The next chapter will have her out and about on the streets while Eric is forced to go to work.**

**REVIEW! THIS WAS MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**My apologies that this chapter took so long. I just found it really hard to write.**

Calleigh sang quietly to herself as she brought a dish of pasta over to the table. Eric was just off the phone to say he was just leaving the lab.

He was supposed to be taking some time off to help her out, but when Ryan had called in sick, he had gone in to help out with a missing persons case. Apparently said missing person had turned up not so missing after all.

She had been out of hospital for three weeks and she revelled in the lack of interruptions from nurses. Not that her time had been peaceful.

She still had sessions with Anne, but they had been cut down to once a week and she was working with Kevin, her O&M instructor.

Those sessions were going well. She was doing well with public transport and navigating streets with her cane.

And she could cook! She had never been much of a cook when she could see, but now that she couldn't, it seemed as good a project as any to keep her occupied.

Just as she served the sauce, the door opened, and she recognised the familiar pattern of Eric's footsteps.

He stepped into the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek.

"This smells wonderful!"

"Thanks"

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I'm nervous. I don't know what they want with me. It's not as if I can take my old job back."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe you have to officially hand in your notice or something."

_0o0o0o_

"It's so strange to be back here" commented Calleigh as she walked down the hall of the lab, gripping Eric's arm lightly above the elbow.

They stopped outside Horatio's office and Calleigh pulled out her cane.

"Horatio and the boss (I don't know who the boss is so I'm going to make up a Captain Dawson) are inside there. There's an empty chair just to your right about 3 feet into the room."

Calleigh nodded and Eric pointed her in the right direction, kissing her lightly on the cheek as she passed.

She took a deep breath and opened the office door.

From her left she could hear the scrape of a chair against metal and she turned her face to it.

"Calleigh... uh... it's Horatio and Captain Dawson is here too."

"I know" she replied lightly. She took several confident steps forward until her cane hit the front of the desk where she had correctly assumed that Dawson would be sitting and she offered her hand to shake.

"Sit down Miss Duquesne."

Calleigh sat.

"Now I'm sure you know why you're here..." began Dawson.

"Actually, I don't. I can't have my old job back. Do you want me to formally resign or something?"

"Not necessarily. I'm sure that you understand that it would be impossible for you to go back to your old position within the department; however, you were the best. We would like to offer you a teaching position and that would include consulting on cases. What do you say?"

"I don't know what to say. Thank-you. I'll definitely think about it."

"Well then you're excused Miss Duquesne."

Calleigh got up and left the office.

"Eric?" she called out.

There was no answer. Dam. He had said that he would wait for her. She decided to head for the break room and wait for him there. He had probably been asked to consult on something.

She started down the hallway, but gave it up after a minute. She knew the way, but she had never payed enough attention to the details to remember exactly how far it was.

She had been concentrating so hard that she didn't hear the person behind her and jumped violently when they put a hand on her arm.

"Relax Calleigh. It's just me." Came Horatio's voice. "I think everyone has gone down to the break room. You coming?"

"Sure."

"Do you... uhh... need me to... uhhh..."

"Relax Horatio. Just walk."

He did and Calleigh was able to follow the noise of his footsteps to the break room.

She was thankful that when they arrived, she was greeted with an enthusiastic hug from Alex who subtly showed her to where there was an empty chair. She was not ready for something like that with Horatio. T was still going to take time for her to regain her trust in him. Now that she thought about it, he didn't even seem to have realised that she had stopped because she had no idea where she was.

It wouldn't have occurred to him she reasoned to herself. He had only seen her that one time that he had come to the hospital. He had not been living with the realities of the blindness for more than a year like she, Eric and even Alexx had. Even Ryan and Natalia stopped by at least once a week with plenty of gossip from the lab and their own lives. By now, they all knew what she was capable of, what her limitations were and the little ways they could help out to make living with the blindness easier.

Just then, Eric rushed into the room, sounding slightly out of breath, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Calleigh sitting beside Alex.

He crossed the room in a few short strides plopped down into the chair beside her and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so sorry. Ryan asked me to consult on something. I didn't realise I had taken so long."

"You didn't. The meeting lasted all of five minutes. Theyoffered me a teaching position. I have the paperwork home with me. If I choose to accept, all I have to do is sign it and send it back."

"And are you going to accept it?"

"Yeah, I think I am. The disability pension that I have been getting is not much to live on and I was not cut out to do nothing. I need to work."

"Well in that case, congratulations on your new job!"

"Thanks Eric. Oh, before I forget, Alexx invited all of us over next Saturday for a BBQ."

"All?"

"Yeah. Me, you, Ryan, Natalia and Horatio"

"Cool That sounds as if it will be fun."

"Yeah. We haven't all hung out together the way we used to for a long time."

She paused for a moment, before swallowing hard. The last time they had all been together to just hang out was the night before she had been abducted.

"So" she continued, her bright smile back in place. "What were you consulting on?"

"Ryan had some tire treads that he couldn't identify. Turns out that they were custom, so that cracked his case wide open."

Calleigh laughed. It was really quite amazing just how stupid some criminals were. He had more than likely been very careful not to leave any DNA or fingerprints, but had forgotten about the custom tires.

_0o0o0o_

Later the same night, Calleigh has signed the paperwork and will start her new job in six weeks. Eric has taken her out for a romantic dinner to celebrate, but he has something else up his sleeve.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" Eric asked Calleigh.

"Only three times since we left the house." She replied with a laugh.

She was wearing a knee length salmon pink dress and her hair was in loose waves around her shoulders. She had a silvery shawl draped around her shoulders which matched the flat shoes on her feet and the small handbag that she held in her hand.

She felt that the flat shoes spoiled the look, but her legs and pelvis still gave her enough pain that she was still unable to walk in heels.

The waiter led them to a table and handed Eric a menu. He looked confused when Calleigh didn't reach out to take hers but Eric subtly gestured for him to take it away again.

The food was amazing and they were having a great time talking about nothing.

It was after dessert when they were enjoying their coffee that Eric decided that the time was right. He pulled a small red velvet box from his pocket and took hold of Calleigh's hand.

"Calleigh. I love you so much. Those months when you were missing, I was in hell. I never want to lose you again. Will you marry me?"

Calleigh was shocked. Eric had just proposed! It was everything she had ever wanted.

"Eric, of course I will marry you."

He slipped the ring onto her finger and lent over the table to kiss her. Around them, the room burst into applause.

**Please Review. Let me know what you thought! There are only two or three more chapters to go!**


	14. Chapter 14: Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**I know that I said that there would be two or three more chapters but this is just how it ended up. This is an epilogue set two years later. **

**I decided the best way to explain the concept of the blindness would be almost through an interview which is what I am doing but it is more light hearted that that through the innocent questioning of a child. It paves the way for a sequel if people want one.**

**Be warned: this is un-betaed. **

It was a beautiful day in late March as Calleigh and Eric lay on the grass at Eric's mothers house while Eric's niece and nephew ran around the garden playing together and screaming with laughter.

Their life had drifted into a comfortable era of perfection.

They had been married for 17 months. Thinking of the day made Calleigh smile. They had got married on the beach in a small private ceremony with their friends from the lab and their close family.

It had been a perfect day and Calleigh had looked stunning in a simple cream dress and flowing veil.

She was assured that Eric had looked more handsome than any of them had ever seen them in a black tuxedo with a white flower through his button-hole.

It's smallness had only made it more comfortable; just Alexx, Horatio, Ryan and Natalia from the lab as well as Calleigh's father and Eric's parents. Eric's brothers and sisters and their family had turned up for the reception later but the most people there at one time had topped at 16 plus the minister.

Calleigh found large crowds disorientating, but if she had ever been out of her comfort zone that day, she had not let it shown. The whole day had been full of laughter and a contagious feeling of closeness and togetherness. It was the best day of her life, which had ended in the best night of her life...

_**0o0o0o**_

She no longer had physiotherapy or O&M training. She was now as independent as she was ever likely to be, with talking computer software, a Braille printer and Eric who was always willing to lend a hand if she needed it.

It definitely wasn't exactly how she had always pictured it, but it was pretty close. Their lives were governed by one rule: Everything has a place, everything in its place. When this was adhered to, Calleigh had no problem finding or doing things for herself.

Unlike when she had first got out of hospital, Eric had to do very little for her. He dropped her off at work in the mornings, and picked her up again if the two times coincided seeing as he passed the building anyway. If the times didn't match, there was a bus.

_**0o0o0o**_

She actually loved her new job, which wasn't really so new anymore.

She taught in a medium sized lecture hall where she could feel the sun on her face and it smelt of wood.

She also had her own office leading off the hall with a private bathroom. Her office was huge with windows on two sides and a small seating area.

Her students were great. At first they hadn't even realised that she was blind because while she was at work, she usually stayed in her classroom or office where she didn't need her cane to navigate. Probably the only clue to them would have been her insistence that everything that they handed up be typed, which wasn't that unusual but it was because he software could not read handwritten documents.

When they had realised, two in particular had tried to get away with sneaking into class late or not turning up at all. They soon learned that Calleigh was blind, not stupid and had not earned the nickname "bullet girl" just for her extensive knowledge on firearms – she was as tough as nails and you couldn't get anything past her. Ever.

_**0o0o0o**_

At home, Calleigh and Eric found, to their surprise, that they actually had something which resembled a social life.

Eric's family were thrilled that he had finally settled down and the two of them went to Eric's parents for Sunday lunch and occasional nights out with one of his sisters and their husband.

Their friends from the lab often either came to theirs or they went to them.

_**0o0o0o**_

Calleigh was rudely woken from her thoughts by Claire, Eric's 4 year old niece, jumping onto her knee enthusiastically.

The very unexpected and sudden physical contact made Calleigh jump a mile, not to mention the pain that radiated from her pelvis.

Eric who was sitting beside her noticed her discomfort and, squeezing her hand lightly asked:

"You ok?"

She nodded and turned to face the wriggling child in her lap.

"What can I do for you Miss Claire?"

Claire giggled, but didn't say anything. She was a shy child, often overshadowed by the naughty antics of her older brother.

"What do you want sweetie?"

"Grandma wants me to tell you and Uncle Eric that lunch is ready."

"Okay, we're coming, but you're going to have to get off my knee first!"

Giggling, Claire slid off Calleigh's knee and watched through big, dark brown eyes as Eric brushed the back of Calleigh's hand with his and she reached up to take his elbow. Sensing that she was being watched, Calleigh turned to face the child and said:

"Is something the matter honey?"

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"When you want to go somewhere, you always have to hold Uncle Eric's arm like mummy makes me do when we have to cross the road."

Calleigh sat down again on the bench and felt Eric sit beside her.

"Honey, do you remember the first time you met me, your mummy and daddy brought you to my house?"

"Yeah."

"Well do you remember how we all sat down together in the living room and Eric explained that my eyes don't work?"

"Yes."

"Well do you understand what that means?"

"No." She sniffled slightly.

"Tell you what, close your eyes. Are they closed tight? Good?"

"Now what can you see?"

"Nothing silly. My eyes are closed."

"Can you point to where the door into the house is?"

"No. My eyes are closed Auntie Calleigh. You're silly."

"Okay. You can open your eyes now. Now, when your eyes were closed you couldn't see where the door was right? Well that's what it is like for me, except I can't just open my eyes again. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

"Does that mean you want to go and get some lunch?"

"Yeah!"

Calleigh took Eric's arm once again and held out her other hand to Claire who took it, swinging it enthusiastically between them.

0o0o0o

It was a few days later and Eric and Calleigh were babysitting for Claire while her parents took her older brother Adam to the dentist.

Calleigh had been enjoying a shower when Claire had arrived but was interrupted by Eric who had to leave all of a sudden for a case.

Calleigh got out quickly, got dressed and walked down the hallway where she could hear her niece talking to her doll.

"Hey there honey."

"Auntie Calleigh!" Claire jumped up and ran to hug her aunt.

"Would you like some juice?"

"Yes please."

"Okay. Come and sit at the table and I'll get it."

Calleigh strode confidently into the kitchen and brought two cups of juice and a plate of fifteens that she had made over to the table, and placed the juice in front of her niece, before taking a seat opposite her.

There was silence for a minute before Calleigh asked her niece:

"Why do you keep staring at me sweetheart?"

"How come you can see? I thought your eyes are broken!" Her tone was accusing and Calleigh wondered what on earth had given the child the impression that she had got her sight back.

"What do you mean?"

"Uncle Eric isn't here to tell you were stuff is and you knew what seat I was in. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honey, my eyes are still broken, and they will always be broken. I just had to learn exactly where everything was and that's why I don't need Uncle Eric to help me when I'm at home, and I knew where you were sitting because I could hear you fidgeting."

"Why will your eyes always be broken? If I kiss them will it make them better?"

Calleigh had to hold back a smile at the childish innocence of such a question.

"Honey, there is nothing that you can do to make them better, but you know what, I can still do almost anything I want, like this!" and she leaned forward and tickled her niece under her chin.

Claire laughed and jumped from her chair, making a bolt for the open door which led to the living-room, but Calleigh was too quick for her. She scooped the giggling little girl into her arms and carried her into the living room where she proceeded to tickle her mercilessly.

Eric arrived home a moment later to see his usually dignified wife, rolling around on the floor with his niece and he pair of them were almost helpless with laughter.

He had to admit, he liked seeing Calleigh with a child. It just seemed right.

Who knew? Maybe it could happen sometime in the future. He smiled at the thought, before plunging into the middle of the giggling heap that was his family.

**Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. If ten people ask for it, I will write a sequel, but not until I have written one for my NCIS fic New Perspective which will be entitled Undercover... Again. You should read it.**

**Pretty please review! I really need cheering up right now.**


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